


by heart

by Code16



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Child Abuse, Corporal Punishment, Dark-ish Characters, Enslaved Mages, Internalized, Mage!John, Obedience, Other, Pain, branching aus, indoctrination, protocol, recitation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 04:24:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8149033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Code16/pseuds/Code16
Summary: "It wasn’t like that for them, of course, couldn’t be. A mage could walk on an injured leg and their leg would heal, could put a hand into a fire to take something out and not lose it, could stand in the cold for hours and not freeze. Why does it hurt us, then, they wouldn’t have asked"
or, two moments from John's life, pain, and obedience





	

**Author's Note:**

> Was posted on [tumblr](http://findundergrounddragoutofwater.tumblr.com/post/151007125399/by-heart).
> 
> Somewhat different enslaved mages verse. (In main distinctions, rather than mages being considered simply dangerous and untrustworthy by nature with no possibility to be otherwise at all, it is considered that if they are taught correctly and given guidance and discipline there is a space for mages to ‘be good’, if in a ‘constant undertaking against entropy’ rather than a ‘fundamental’ way.
> 
> Also, this Harold is a product of his society, if generally on the better side thereof than many.)
> 
> additional content warnings: somewhat victim blaming punishment, brief mentions of injury.
> 
> Also, that enslaved mages are taught something does not mean that I endorse it.

John tries not to let his hand move too much. He’s trembling in place, by now, but that’s allowable. As long as he does not cause the strap to miss, the teachers have been forgiving. 

“Obedience is the second foundation” he manages when it comes down again. It’s quieter than it had been, a break in his voice after ‘obedience’. But they have been forgiving of that as well. His hand burns, his fingers might not bend if he tried. His hand stays where it should be.

 

Pain, they’d learned, when it did as it should, is an alarm to humans, to other beings of Earth that were made of biology only. Hurts them because it must - lost in a task, one might ignore a quieter alarm of harm, walk on an injured leg, perhaps, until the damage had grown too great to be repaired. 

It wasn’t like that for them, of course, couldn’t be. A mage could walk on an injured leg and their leg would heal, could put a hand into a fire to take something out and not lose it, could stand in the cold for hours and not freeze.  _Why does it hurt us, then_ , they wouldn’t have asked, might have thought sometimes, in the wind of December, when a strap came down, on their knees on the scattered stones in the yard. Why did their alarm sound just the same, as loud, as inexorable. 

_Why do you feel pain_ , they’d learned. Recited when it was called, wrote when it was written.  _So that we may be taught. So that we may be corrected_.

 

“Obedience is the second foundation.”  

It is the last. He puts his hand down when he may, doesn’t try to move his fingers yet. He can’t not cry for long enough to speak; if they stood farther, they might not hear him. But they are forgiving.

“Thank you for correcting me.”

 

–---------- ------------

 

His shoulder still aches. The bullet’s out but it’s still healing, from where the number had said wait I dropped my card and John had stopped for just that moment before Harold’s voice in his ear had told him to take the number on, now. From where the number was alive, fine, but they weren’t quite fast enough.

“It’s not much more time,” he says when he’s finished his report. “An hour maybe. I can work in the meanwhile. It’s only pain.” He can hear Harold’s sigh from where he kneels.

“Why do you feel pain, John?” He lowers his head more than his gaze had been already, until it’s only the floor in front of him he sees. 

“So that we may be corrected.” He knows the reprimand, even though Harold hadn’t raised his voice, not even severe in it. Patient with John even as John is slow to learn, the CIA following him in his actions without thought when it is Harold his obedience is due to now.

“Bring me the cane from the corner, if you will.” John ducks his head to the floor, rises.

_So that we may be taught._

**Author's Note:**

> [My tumblr for these kinds of things](http://findundergrounddragoutofwater.tumblr.com). I love fandom social things, and anyone who feels like they might want to message etc me for any reason is encouraged to totally do so.


End file.
